Morning journal and courier., 1887-05-05
THE KLAMATH INDIANS
How Their Condition Is Being In-
 

How Their Condition Is Being Iln-
 proved.
 In his book entitled "The Latest Studies on Indian Reservations" MT. J. B. Harrison has this to say concerning the work done for the uplifting of the Klamath Indians by a gentleman we'll known in this vicinity:
 passed several days at the government industrial boarding school for Indians at Yainax sub agency, oa the Klamath reserve, forty miles from Klamath agency, examin- ing it in all it's departments critically and thoroughly. It has been for more than four years under the charge of MT. William T. Leeke. He was formerly for two years clerk at Klamath agency, and before that was for eight years professor in Ashland college, at Ashland, Oregon, and for some time presi- dent of the college. He is an experienced and successful educator. His first assistant is an eminently successful teacher, especially in her natural power of vital control and ascendency over her Indian young people. The other assistants and subordinates ap- peared to be earnest and capable young per sons, with loyal and thorough devotion to MT. Leeke's plans and aims.
 I inspected the boarding house and school rooms, examined the farming lands, gardens and buildings of all kinds belonging to the school and observed carefully the quality of the work done and it's effect, as this was shown in the character, manners and beha- vior of the boys and girls, young men and women 1 saw the pupils in their Sunday school and religious meetings, at their meals, at study and at work. I am obliged to re- gard this as the best Indian government school that saw on any reservation. The pupils appeared many of them to have reached higher degree of development of personal qualities, to be more fully formed intellectually, morally and socially than any other Indian young people that have seen teachers recalled to my mind the delightful impressions received at St. Johns school (Mrs. Kinneys), at Cheyenne river agency and at Miss Howe's school at Springfield, Dakota.
 There is but one thing that would justify the removal of MT. Leeke from his place at the head of this school That would be his selection at some future time for the highest place connected with the Indian educational work of the country. That is place which by his natural qualities, varied training and long experience he would be we'll qualified to fill
 Mr. Leeke has somehow carried some of his boys so far along by means of the in- struction and practice in the school shops that they can do very fair repairing in the iron and wood work of wagons but alas, they have no material and no incidental or other funds with which to obtain it. If MT. Leeke could have five hundred dollars year for two years for this purpose-the pur- chase of material for the school shops-at his discretion his Indian boys could do the repairing for the four hundred Indians Of this sub agency. If they lived along the Missouri river, where eastern people could know about them and see them sometimes, think I could get help for them. But fear the needs of Indians beyond the Rocky Mountains seem to our eastern people unreal and too far away. Yet these Klamaths and | Modocs and Pitt Rivers are in our country Iet us learn to call them our countrymen.) J cannot quite give them up and shall not